Taking the Kaitiakitanga Challenge!

Finally, the time had come, it was all go for the Donald’s Creek Freshwater Celebration Event! Saturday, 30 November was (in spite of a very wet and windy November lead up) a particularly beautiful day for spending a bit of time by your local stream. People came in droves, flocks and shoals… to do the Kaitiakitanga Challenge!

The community were able to access the event and site from Donald Street, via the scenic route across a private grassy walkway and paddock – thanks Tim Watson! Arriving on foot and on bike, and taking in the sight of the event from the top of the pines and as they walked along the path surrounded by tall grass, it was a warm and welcoming feeling and an abundance of things to see and to do!

The Kaitiakitanga Challenge was introduced through a series of Donald’s Creek Freshwater Fortune Tellers that the kaitiaki students had co-created with Siv Fjaerestad and Liz Lark, and supported by Zoe Studd and Liam Hopkinson – offering a combination of wonderful drawings and action prompts, the participants “found their fortune” as they were guided through the site and activity stations, exploring the many treasures, critters and experiences!

Once you had completed 5 of the activities, including eating something yummy (an often heard incredulous exclamation from children during the day was: “WE GET A STAMP FOR EATING SOMETHING YUMMY???!!”) the participants would enter into the draw for beautiful freshwater books and resources donated by Amber McEwan. And no-one went home empty handed – whether they walked away with a beautiful limited edition Donald’s Creek Fortune Teller or a coloured in taniwha, or knowing they had painted a stencil onto the under bridge mural, or the memory of having captured, identified and learnt the names of a macro-invertebrate, said hello to a baby eel, explored a catchment, watered a plant, and more, these were beautiful and meaningful experiences and memories from the day and stream.

The under-bridge mural activity initiated and led by Liam Hopkinson, was a favourite by many and a fun and accessible activity for everyone to contribute to, using the many wonderful stencils that had been created by the St Teresa’s students and Siv Fjaerestad. The mural created a “secret landmark” of the event and the work done so far – and an ode to the stream itself!

There was also the beginnings of our very own Donald’s Creek freshwater science station…supported by South Wairarapa Rotary Club, Featherstob Lioness Club and built by the Featherston Mens Shed!

Some of the most precious moments came right at the end of the day when students and other children attending the event were able to help release the eels, fish and other critters back into the stream – their home – after a good day’s work of being on display for everyone to learn about the eco systems of Donald’s Creek! Thanks Critters!

“We were fortunate to have on our side many wonderful and inspiring people, groups and organisations who helped make this event possible, and helped celebrate and raise awareness of the stream and the important work that the students have been doing!”

Thanks to all of those who helped run the stations and activities, who helped weed and release plants (before and during event), to those who baked the most delicious cakes and treats, to those who discovered old maps and records, who shared pūrākau, knowledge, stories or childhood experiences, who played beautiful music and sounds, who took photographs, who lent gazebos, mats, tarps, pillows, blankets, and stuff, who ran errands and lifted all heavy stuff, who built us a work table, who put together gazebos and donated hay bales and coffee sacks, who supported the project through social media, great advise, beautiful design, print, precious knowledge, and a can do attitude, who offered and lent us paddocks and grassy walkways, and so much more!!! A special thanks go out to key project funders Trust House and South Wairarapa Rotary Club, as well as South Wairarapa District Council and City Care for their support towards this event! It’s also a pleasure to announce Featherston Lioness Club as a key funder of the overall project and future developments!

Finally a special thanks go out to the students and teacher Liz Lark of St Teresa’s School, and to Zoe Studd and Liam Hopkinson (MTSW) for your hard work, your vision, your support, your creativity and your kaitiakitanga!

A full list of contributors

• Zoe Studd, Liam Hopkinson, Sarah Kachwalla – Mountains To Sea Wellington – key sponsor, all round direction and wrap around support to project, including freshwater education, funding, design, health & safety, equipment, critter station and mural!
• Students: Jay Abaton, Lucien Ball, Rose Barry, Brayden Cuff, Benjamin Eberlein, Dana Edwards, Cassidy Gawler, Addison Gillies, Leyton Hall, Travis Hancock, Willow Harcourt, Scarlett Matthews, Dana Miranda, Ladanian Noanoa, Samuel Ratuki, Van Rozing, Mexi Sargent, Monique Sargent, Te Maire Sargent, Tristan Wagner, Liz Lark (teacher), Jennifer Muth (Principal) – St Teresa’s School – original concept, plan and plantings of Donald’s Creek Restoration, creation and donation of event resources, traffic management, equipment fence repairs and more!
• Trust House Foundation – key sponsor!
• Pamela Messervy, Tamara Allerhand, Paul Mason, Mary Mason, Guy Dowle, John Bushell, Andy Corrigan – South Wairarapa Rotary Club – key sponsor and on-the-day support towards set up, pack down, traffic management, floating volunteers and more!
• Featherston Lioness Club – key sponsor and delicious baking!
• Richard Burgess, Denis Cutler, Garry Thomas and fellow members of Featherston Mens Shed – fine carpentry
• Bryce Neems, Colin Olds of South Wairarapa District Council, Featherston Community Board – and the City Care team – all round support and sponsorship for mowing, weed eating, portaloo, waste management!
• Oliver Vetter – Sustainable Coastlines – Tidy Tuna station, all round support, equipment and resources!
• Jim Flack and Anna Burrows – Department of Conservation – Kai Station, all round support, floating volunteers and equipment
• Jack Sheppard and Sophronia Smith – Fab Feathy Community-led Development – Riffle Station and all round pre event support
• Cheryl Gallaway, Guy Walker, David Kleinjan – Moana Cycle Trail Group – Aware Station and key support with identifying safe access!
• Warren Maxwell and Karen Mikaera – Pae tū Mōkai o Tauira – Karakia, Senses Station, Kaitiakitanga Station, and all round support towards set up, pack down!
• Esther Dijkstra – Enviroschools – Catchment Model Station and all round support!
• Sam Ludden – ceramic eels and Inspire Station!
• Amber McEwan – donation of beautiful learning resources and awards!
• Joseph Potangraroa – Rangitāne o Wairarapa – Critters Station, sharing of stories, information, historical maps, tikanga, and stories around the Wairarapa waterways!
• Ra Smith – Kahungunu ki Wairarapa – Inspire Station, sharing of stories, information, historical maps, tikanga, and stories around the Wairarapa waterways!
• Gareth Winter – Wairarapa Archives – maps and historical records related to the stream and wider catchment!
• Hamish Donald, John Skippage, Graham Hodder, sharing stories, historical surveys, imagery and records related to the stream – also thanks to Hamish for making a “litter press”!
• Micheline Evans, Sam Ludden, Hamish Fenwick and Adam Mattsen – Greater Wellington Regional Council – all round pre-event support and communication for event, and consultation on site!
• Liz Gibson (MTSW) and Sheryl Miller (GWRC) for Freshwater Workshops and support!
• Alan Maxwell and Hannah Lintern – The Way Youth Club – all round support for Senses & Welcome Stations!
• Brenden Sayyman, Emily Greenberg and Katie Beattie – Wairarapa Moana Community Restoration – Riffle and Explore Stations, floating volunteers, weeding & equipment!
• South Featherston School – fish bunting!
• Kahutara School – fish bunting!
• Featherston School – equipment!
• Bell Street Early Learning Centre – fish bunting!
• Jacqui Jones, Fran Scott from Professionals – printing sponsorship!
• Kirsten Browne, Tamara Olliver & John Hart – Fab Lab Masterton – priority set up design & turn around for invert plates
• Amanda Valois, NIWA, and resources on macroinvertebrates prepared by Winterbourn et al. Bulletin 14, Entomological Society of New Zealand and Wai Care Resource, prepared by Ruby Jones, Stephen Moore, Andrew Jenks and Chrissy Henley!
• Warren Maxwell and whanau, and Rupert Watson – beautiful music and sounds!
• Graham Hodder – hay bales for the day!
• Marvin Guerrerro & Don Luciano Coffee – donation of coffee sacks!
• Print Space, Hey Jude Boutique, Mr Feather’s Den, The Ferret Bookshop, Loco Coffee & Books, For the Love of Books, Featherston Library, Higgle Dee Piggle Dee and Lang’s Pharmacy – display of fish bunting!
• Emma McCleary, Marise Rozing, Sian Harcourt, Rachel Kerr, Jennie Marks, Lyn Olds and one or more mystery bakers – Bakers of delicious cakes & sweets!
• Martine and Renze Bijker, Greytown Library via Bryce Neems, South Wairarapa Rotary Club, Liz Lark – additional gazebos & gear!
• Romain Busby, Abbie (surname?), Marcus Anselm and Rae Williams Karaitiana for help with set up of event, photography, weeding, Tidy Tuna Station, Tiff North for being last minute IT support & admin whizz, Jen Olson and Rachel Griffiths for great ideas, and everyone and anyone else (should I somehow have forgot anyone) who supported and helped make this event possible!

The event left us all inspired and excited for the future of this stream and continued restoration of the site – we look forward to more planting and community involvement, more weeding and releasing, more opportunities to explore the stream and support its ecosystems! Stay tuned….

He tangata He tangata He tangata Kaitiakitanga!